


Rules of Nature

by AwakeAndAliveSpartan



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Evil! Phil Coulson, F/M, Hellfire! Ward, Reversal! AU, Working Summary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-01-12 22:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21233363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwakeAndAliveSpartan/pseuds/AwakeAndAliveSpartan
Summary: As Grant Ward fights to carve his own path as the director of Hydra, he finds himself in a new fight as a new villain rises. As Skye seeks out his help in the midst of his fight with his very own demons, he finds that the new threat is none other than Phil Coulson himself.But who will prevail on top? Or will they both find themselves falling into the very abyss that seeks to claim them both?





	1. The Game of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning.

“Sir, you have a visitor.”

Grant frowned as he looked up from his desk, seeing Kebo standing in the doorway, “If it’s Malick again, tell him to fuck off. I don’t have time to deal with him. And I really don’t give a damn about whatever deal he wants to make with me.” he all but growled. A deep light shone in his eyes that bolted Kebo in place. 

“No, it’s a woman. I don’t know how she found us,” Kebo began, his mouth twitching just a bit. “But, she’s demanding to see you. She says that she knows you. But, she won’t give us her name.”

Grant’s stomach started to churn and he sat up straight, “What does she look like?”

Kebo shrugged, “Shorter brown hair. Asian-looking. Somewhere in her twenties.”

And with that, Grant’s stomach dropped. “ _ Skye _ .” he breathed, standing up. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Kebo blinked and frowned, “Skye? So you  _ do _ know her.” he stated. “I don’t know what she wants, though. She’s raising hell out there. She says that she’ll only talk to you and only you.”

A muscle twitched near Grant’s eye and he took a deep breath, “Sounds like something she would say.” he muttered. “But why the hell is she here? Something’s definitely not right.”

Kebo flinched as Grant stormed past him, hoping that his explosive anger didn’t show. It was clear that the woman meant something to Grant, but Grant had never mentioned a woman named Skye. 

Grant made his way into what he had dubbed the ‘common room’ of the base. Which was, in reality, a dark, dank, concrete room that his men drank in. It consisted only of a beaten-up couch, a pool table, and a flat-screen TV which Grant was sure that one of his men had stolen to bring in here. 

He paused right as he saw her, scowling at the brute-like men that surrounded her. 

“You know that I’m stronger than all of you combined, right?” he heard her ask. “You’re stupid if you think that you could hold me back. I just want to talk to him. You’re understanding me, right?”

“They’re not stupid.”

Skye froze and looked up to see Grant looking down at her with his arms crossed. There was a strange light in his eyes that made her shiver. At least she was right to where he was. “Ward.” she bit back.

A twitch pulled at Grant’s lips, “You come seeking  _ me  _ of all people out, and you’re still gonna be a jackass to me?”

“Well, being a jackass to you is kind of a guarantee at this point.” she retorted. “But, that’s not the point.”

Grant’s scowl darkened, “Then get to the point.” he stated coldly. “I don’t like the fact that you know where I am.”

Skye looked around real quick before looking back to him, “Can we talk about this in private?” she asked, her voice low. 

“What? We’re getting personal already?” Grant asked, an eyebrow raised. 

“Grant, please.”

Grant’s stomach dropped with the hesitation that was as clear as day in Skye’s voice. Something was clearly wrong. Of course something had to be wrong for her to come crawling to him like this. Skye hated his guts. Why would she be seeking help from him of all people?

He let out a long breath, looking around before he looked her straight in her eyes, “Fine. Come with me.” He turned around, “And only her. We need to be alone.” he stated coldly as he began to walk away. 

Skye swallowed and quickly began to follow him, unsure of what she had gotten herself into. But, she really needed help and had no one else left to turn to. The corruption had spread too far. He was the only one left. Only because he wasn’t a part of the team. 

Grant led Skye into his ‘office’, shutting the door behind them. As soon as the door was closed, he turned back to her, “How did you find where I am?” he asked coldly. “I made sure that this place was as off the map as it could get.”

Skye forced a smile, “You really can’t hide from me,  _ Director _ . All I had to do was track Hydra movements relating to anti-SHIELD efforts and  _ voila,  _ I found you.” she explained. “For a super spy, you aren’t too great at hiding from technology.”

“Does Coulson know that you’re here?”

Skye immediately froze up, her face darkening, “No, he doesn’t.” she muttered. “I’m here on my own. No one knows that I’m here.”

Grant frowned, “Then you’re going behind everyone’s backs. Why?” Something definitely wasn’t right here. She seemed terrified. Like something, or someone, was out to get her.

“I-It’s Coulson.” Skye stammered, a wild look shining in her eyes. “He’s gone crazy. I-I don’t know how, but he has.” She shook her head, “He’s somehow got everyone on his side, too.”

Grant raised a hand to stop her, “Wait, hold on. What do you mean that Coulson’s gone crazy?”

She shook her head, “It’s… It’s hard to explain, to be honest.” She still sounded  _ afraid _ . “He… He’s been  _ too  _ commanding, getting very mad towards anyone who even slightly disagrees with him. I’ve… I’ve been hearing him talk about dealing with the Inhumans. I’m not sure what he means by that, but it doesn’t sound good. He’s acting like they’re some kind of threat. 

And then there’s the others…” she continued. “They’ve been agreeing with him. No matter what he says. But something seems wrong with them. Like they’re not themselves. I think… I think that Coulson did something to them.”

Grant’s frowned deepened, “Like what?” Truly, none of this was making sense. She seemed to be all over the place, like she couldn’t form a coherent thought.

“That’s the thing. I don’t know. But, they’re all acting weird. Like robots almost.”

Something clicked in Grant’s mind, “Like they were brainwashed?” Truly, his answer didn’t even make sense to himself. But, it was an explanation. But, he didn’t think that Coulson would go as far as brainwashing his own team. Unless something was really wrong. Really, really wrong. 

Skye shook her head, “We don’t have that kind of equipment!” she exclaimed. “At least I don’t think we do. But still, why would I be the only one not acting like that?”

“Is there  _ anyone _ else that’s acting like themselves?”

“Well, there’s Elena…”

“Who?”

Skye sighed, “She’s another Inhuman.” she answered. “She hasn’t been with us too long. Maybe 2 months at the most.”

Grant took a breath, “So you and the only other Inhuman are the only ones acting ‘normal’?” he asked. He frowned again, “Doesn’t that seem odd to you?”

She looked at him blankly, “I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I. It’s just weird that just you and someone who’s also Inhuman don’t seem affected by whatever the hell is going on.” he stated, staring her straight in the eyes. “Coulson goes crazy and most of his team subsequently starts acting weird as well? Something’s not adding up here. But, why come to me for help?”

Skye swallowed and dug a photo out of her pocket, “You remember the Kree symbols that Coulson was drawing before? The ones I asked you about before?” she asked, handing him the photo. “The ones on the Obelisk?”

Grant’s stomach froze over as he saw the photo. It was a hastily taken image of a scattered pile of scrap paper on a desk. The Kree symbols were scribbled all over the papers. He gulped, “He’s drawing them again. I thought that cleared up.”

Skye shook her head, “It did, for a while.” she stated. “But this started up again around the time his mental state started going south. But much worse this time.”

He felt sick to his stomach, “Just like Garrett. He’s gone insane just like Garrett did. That GH shit completely shattered what little sanity he had left. It’s like it took Garrett’s cruelness and heightened it tenfold.” he explained, his voice weak. “He went batshit crazy before he died, you know that.

That serum’s changing Coulson, you know that, Skye.” he continued. “But, how far is it going to go?”

Skye licked her lips, “That’s why I came here, Ward.” she stated. “I… I don’t feel safe anymore at the base. It’s like everyone’s being turned against me and you’re the only one I have left to turn to. I know that you want to bring Coulson down, Ward. Now’s your chance to do so.”

Grant’s throat went dry. Was Skye actually wanting him to  _ kill  _ Coulson? He knew that she knew more about what was wrong with Coulson than she was letting on. But, it was clear that whatever was going on was terrifying her. She truly had to be scared for her life if he was her last option. 

One thing was clear, though. 

Phil Coulson was no more.

As far as Grant could tell, something had taken his place. The GH formula had turned a monster like Garrett into an even bigger one. It was like it took what was already there and turned it for the worst. Coulson had been a paranoid and control-wanting man. He liked everything to be perfect, for there to be order. Grant knew that the serum had twisted that into a monster. Perhaps, a paranoid and tyrannical monster. 

All Grant really knew was that Skye wasn’t safe. None of them were. 

There was no denying that Phil Coulson was long gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that it's kind of a cold open, but I'm getting right to the gist of it. So the basis is that Coulson actually fell to the GH serum like Garrett did ('cause I didn't like how the show handled the resolution of his borderline psychosis), but at a higher magnitude. You know, the very thing that May was watching him for. It'll make more sense in time as I reveal more about what's happening to Coulson. (And, yes, it'll be VERY Skyeward.) I hope that you enjoy! Please leave a comment or a kudos!


	2. Drown Me with Your Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It continues...

“I-I don’t feel safe going back there, Ward.” Skye stammered, shaking her head. “I don’t want whatever’s happened to the others happening to me as well. I don’t want to end up like that.”

Grant took a sharp breath and bit his lip, pondering his decision. He  _ definitely  _ didn’t want Skye going back to Coulson because there was no telling to what could happen if she did. But, he couldn’t guarantee her safety if she stayed here. Most of his men were thugs and he wouldn’t trust them around her. Then again, Skye could hold her own ground and would even put his men into the ground if they even looked at her wrong. He had seen her in action before. Perhaps that was much better than going back into the lion’s den if there really was something wrong with Coulson.

But, still, none of this made sense. Yes, it was highly possible that the GH formula was in fact finally making Coulson go insane, taking his worst qualities and twisting them into something even worse. But the team acting strangely? Even if it did sound like brainwashing to Grant, why was Skye and that other Inhuman, Elena, not affected? Something wasn’t right. It almost sounded like it was all stemming from Coulson. 

Unless Coulson had spontaneously developed the ability to control minds.

Grant shivered. He remembered that Garrett showed enhanced strength after being injected with the GH serum. But, Coulson had been brought back to life by it. There was no telling to what it could’ve done to him. 

There was no telling to what Coulson was becoming.

And that’s what truly scared Grant. It was hard to tell of what Coulson would be capable of if he was fully pushed to the brink of insanity by the serum. If he was already expressing anti-Inhuman ideals…. This was bad. Really, really bad. 

If Coulson did in fact end up completely losing his insanity, people would die. Coulson always had a firm, strong resolve to him. He would do whatever it took to reach his end goal. If that resolve had been corrupted into something sinister…. Grant didn’t even want to think about the possibilities that entailed. 

Grant knew that he himself wasn’t the greatest of men. He’s done things that many others would find sinister, but he would never hurt an innocent soul. He was afraid that innocents would end up getting hurt if Coulson was allowed to continue like this. 

Grant took a sharp breath, trying to steady himself. What Skye had unloaded onto him was a lot to wrap his mind around. “You… You can stay here if you want.” he stated. “I have a spare room near mine. This used to be an old SHIELD base before Hydra took it over. So, there are a few bunk rooms that are single-person. I just hope that you brought your things with you. Because I don’t want you going back to base. That’ll just put you into too much danger.”

Skye swallowed, “I only managed to grab a bag and my laptop.” she stated in response. “I disabled a tracker in one of the cars and drove here.”

Grant raised a cautious eyebrow, “You sure that it’s disabled?”

She gave him the darkest of scowls, “Do you really think that I’m  _ that  _ stupid?” she asked. “Of course I’m sure. I also used a separate GPS to find this place. Coulson’s paranoid. He’ll do whatever it takes to bring me back if he even suspects that I ran off.”

“Did you tell anyone that you were leaving?”

“No, I didn’t. If they’re all somehow underneath his control, they’ll squeal.” she explained. “I had to go alone. Tell no one.” She paused, “I’m… I’m all on my own here until I can figure out how to get them out of there.”

“And how do you plan on getting them out of there?” Grant questioned. “If they are really under some kind of control, it’ll be hard to break through to them. Or even get them out of Coulson’s grasp. You need a plan.”

“And I’m running on nothing here!” Skye snapped, the ground slightly trembling beneath them. “I just ran for my fucking life because I’m afraid that Coulson will end up doing something to me! I… I just needed somewhere  _ safe  _ first.”

Grant raised his hands to quiet her, noticing that there were tears starting to build up in her eyes, “Look, you just need to take a breath, Skye.” he stated quietly. “I’ll find a way to deal with this. You don’t need to get yourself hurt.”

“I’m capable of doing things, too, you know.” Skye shot back, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I want to stop Coulson, before he becomes some kind of monster.”

Grant took a deep breath, “Skye, I think he’s already reached that point.” he admitted. “He was already losing it back when I helped you guys out with Peterson and that Lincoln guy. I hate to actually see him now.”

Skye shook her head and looked away from him, “You don’t want to know.”

He tried to fight back a wave of burning rage that was trying to crawl its way up his throat. No, not now. Skye was already terrified of what Coulson was becoming. He didn’t want her growing afraid of him too. 

“I’ll have my men go retrieve your things.” he said slowly. “You need to rest. You can’t help anyone if you’re exhausted. I don’t want you getting hurt.” There was a softness in his voice that Skye hadn’t heard in a very long time. It was as clear as day to her that he still cared for her. 

But, there was something different about him. A difference that she could actually feel. She didn’t want to intrude by asking him about it, especially since she was already asking so much of him. Still, something felt very different about him and it bothered her that she couldn’t figure out to what it was. 

“I’ll figure something out.” Grant continued softly, running his hands through his hair. “I have to. I just have to.

I… I can’t let anyone else get hurt.”

* * *

(Elsewhere, Sometime Later)

“Fitz, where is Skye?”

Fitz froze up, turning to see Coulson standing in the doorway of the lab, a dark scowl on his face. He quickly stood up, a faint shake starting to take a hold of his body. “I… I don’t know sir.”

Coulson’s scowl only grew as he took a menacing step into the lab, “She’s been missing since the other day. Someone’s bound to know where she went, yet no one knows.” he deadpanned, no emotion in his voice whatsoever. 

Fitz swallowed. It was true that he didn’t know to where Skye was. Skye just disappeared the other day without telling a soul. First everyone started acting weird soon after Coulson started becoming more aggressive and commanding. Almost tyrannical, if Fitz was being honest. Then Skye up and left out of nowhere. It felt like things were falling apart around him and he couldn’t even confide in anyone else because they all were acting like robots. Well, all except Elena.

“Sir, I’m telling you that I don’t know where she is.” Fitz repeated, trying to sound confident, even though he was trying his best to avoid Coulson’s seething gaze. “She left her phone here, so there’s no way to contact her.”

Well, that one was a lie. Fitz had the number to a burner phone he knew that Skye kept on her. Maybe, if he could get a few minutes alone, he could try to call it. He just had to hope that she still had it and didn’t abandon it as well. 

Coulson took another step forward, “You better not be lying to me, Fitz.” he almost growled. “Skye’s abandoned us. I don’t like that. And if you know to where she is and you’re not telling me…” He trailed off and didn’t finish, but Fitz knew the implication of his words. 

There would be hell to pay.

Fitz shook his head, “S-Sir, I’m telling the truth. I have no bloody idea to where she could be.” he stammered. “Maybe she just needed some time to herself and didn’t want to bother with telling anyone.”

Coulson only glared at him before storming out of the lab, leaving an icy feel in the room behind him.

_ “What the hell was that?”  _ Fitz thought, finding himself unable to move.  _ “Why… Why is he acting like this? Something’s wrong. Very, very wrong. That and the fact that everyone else is acting so strange. _

_ I really need to find a way to contact Skye. And fast. _

_ Before something terrible happens.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Grant agrees to help and lets Skye stay with him. Also, there's a bit of a hint with what's going on with Grant here. (Can you guess yet?) And it seems that Fitz isn't under the control that the others seem to be held by, and there's a very good reason to that. Keep the comments and kudos coming! (And thank you with all of the response with the first chapter!)


	3. Hate, Wait for the Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye starts to find out just what is wrong with Grant.

(Sometime the Next Day)

Skye watched quietly from the doorway of the base’s common room as she watched Grant argue with some of his men. Apparently, they weren’t too fond of him sheltering a SHIELD agent in the base. But, was she really a SHIELD agent anymore? She had ran from them, well, mainly Coulson. But as SHIELD stood now, she couldn’t really call herself a SHIELD agent. Not until Coulson was gone and SHIELD had changed. 

“I don’t care to what you think.” she heard Grant all but hiss. “She’s staying here and that’s final. If you don’t like it, then you’re more than welcome to leave.” He took a step forward towards the man, a particularly shorter man than the rest of them. “Or do you have a problem with that?”

Skye froze, swearing that for the briefest of moments that Grant’s eyes had flashed a red color. Her stomach began to churn. There was no way that was possible, right? Right?

Then again, she had witnessed the Coulson’s spiral into possible insanity and Grant seemed to believe that the man could have developed some way to brainwash others. So, truly, anything was possible at this point.

And, she hadn’t seen Grant in months. Anything could’ve happened to him in that time. Maybe that’s why he seemed so different. Had something really happened to him? But in what way had he changed?

Skye was afraid to find out.

The man scoffed, “I thought that you hated SHIELD.” he retorted. “Or has that bitch made you soft?”

Faster than Skye could blink, Grant had the man hoisted into the air, his hand wrapped tightly around the man’s throat. She took a step forward, but a look from Kebo made her stop. He just shook his head. Like this was a normal thing. 

“I dare you to call her that again.” Grant growled. “You know very well of what I’m capable of. Remember what happened to the last guy who dared to cross me? There was nothing left of him once I was finished with him. Do you want that to happen to you?”

Fear started to shine in the man’s eyes, “N… No…” he squeaked out, his face starting to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. It was honestly amazing at how fast fear had taken him over. 

Grant threw him to the ground, the man beginning to cough as oxygen began to return to his lungs. “Good. Now do  _ not  _ bother me again.” he growled, spinning on his heels and stalking back towards Skye. 

Skye took a step back as he approached, “What the  _ hell  _ was that?!” she demanded, watching as the man got up and walked away without another word. “Have you lost your mind, too?!”

Grant’s face darkened, “He was threatening you. I didn’t like it.”

“Well, you didn’t have to threaten to kill him because of it!” she exclaimed. “I ran here because I was afraid of Coulson, but you don’t seem all that much better at this point.”

“Skye, I can explain. You didn’t see the whole thing.”

She raised an eyebrow, “And what warrants threatening someone like that?”

“I overheard them saying  _ things  _ about you earlier.” he began, his voice softening. “Unpleasant things.”

“What kind of things?”

“The sexual kind.”

Skye’s face fell, “Oh.” That’s all she could say. Honestly, it kind of figured that those creeps were already saying those kind of things about her. At least, Grant’s strange protective trait was coming out in full force for her. Even it was scary to see. 

He looked straight into her eyes, “They’re not all like that, I promise.” he stated. “But, I think I made it  _ very  _ clear that I don’t want anyone messing with you in any way at all. I just snapped, I couldn’t help it. I….” He trailed off as his shoulders slumped. “We need to talk where no one else can hear us, Skye. Please.”

Skye swallowed as he began to walk away and she quickly followed after, being led back into his office. He closed and locked the door behind them, heading over to his desk and leaning up against it.

“Skye, there’s something wrong with me.” he said quietly. “The rage, I can’t… I can’t control it. It consumes me, it  _ controls  _ me. I thought I got rid of it, but it came back. Even worse this time.”

Something pulled at Skye’s heart, “What do you mean?”

“The Berserker rage.” Grant answered. “It’s tearing me apart. I know that Randolph said it would last decades, but not like this. It’s… It’s like a monster that wants to destroy me.”

A vivid flashback flashed through Skye’s mind of Grant raging, tearing through those fanatics in that church oh so long ago. He was bad then and if it was only getting worse, then it would be creating an utter monster. 

“It’s a never-ending hunger. It’s always eating me alive and I can never sate the wrath.” he continued sadly. “That’s why I snap so easily. I just… I just can’t help it. It comes out and I can’t control it. At all.”

Skye shook her head, not really knowing of what to say. First, Coulson was falling into insanity. Now, Grant was becoming a rage-filled monster. A demon of sorts. But still, there still was something that seemed off about him. Something  _ non-human _ . 

“There’s something else, too, isn’t there?” 

He looked up at her, a strained light in his eyes, “What do you mean?”

“Something seems off about you and it’s not just the Berserker rage. Something else has changed about you.”

His shoulders stiffened, “No, there’s nothing else wrong with me.” he stated, almost coldly. “I’m  _ fine. _ ” 

“Grant,” 

“There is nothing else wrong with me!” he screamed, storming past her. “I already told you that! Now get fucking busy and do something about the others!”

The room shook as he slammed the door behind him. 

Skye swallowed as her stomach began to churn again,  _ “No, something’s there. I…”  _ Her thoughts trailed off as she noticed a lit candle on Grant’s desk. No, not lit, but a mini burning  _ inferno _ . The candle was consumed in flames, getting dangerously close to his desk. She quickly ran over and doused it with water from an open water bottle that Grant had left nearby. She took a sharp breath, watching the water pool onto the desk below the candle. It hadn’t been like that when they had gotten here. In fact, it hadn’t even been lit at all.

Meaning Grant had somehow managed to do that without even touching it.

All stemming from the brief rage attack he had just had. 

Skye didn’t even have time to think about it because the burner phone she kept on her chose that particular moment to ring. Her stomach grew cold as her hand flew to it. Only two people had the number for it: Fitz and May. And it was unlikely that May was calling her. She knew that it was risky to answer, but then again it was a burner phone and she could easily destroy it.

“H-Hello?” she answered, her voice still shaky from watching Grant’s rage consume him like that. “Who is this?”

_ “S-Skye? You’re there? Where did you go? Y-You need to come back?” _

Skye would recognize that shaky voice anywhere. And it sounded normal. Not robotic like the others. 

“ _ Fitz _ ?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a shorter chapter, but it provides a HUGE insight into what's going on with Grant. Any guesses to what happened to Grant to make him that way? Also, Fitz calls! What will Skye do about that? Keep the comments and kudos coming!!


	4. The Devil Resides in Human Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to change.

“Fitz?!” Skye repeated, gripping the burner phone hard. She really wished that Grant were here right now, but there was no way that she was going to bother him after what had just happened. “How are you…” She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. 

_ “How am I what?”  _ Fitz asked.  _ “Where are you?” _

Skye really didn’t want to tell him that she was with Grant. Something seemed different about him, very different than the others had been right before she left. “I’m, uh, taking a break for myself, Fitz.” she lied. “Things just got way too stressful and I needed a break. Surely you could understand.”

_ “Well, I don’t think that Coulson’s gonna take that.”  _ Fitz answered.  _ “He’s  _ really  _ wanting you to come back. Now. He’s pissed.” _

Skye’s stomach froze over, “Huh?”

_ “He thinks that I’m lying to him when I tell him that I have no damn idea to where you are. He’s acting strangely, Skye. They all are. Well, except Elena. Maybe. I’m really not sure.” _

_ “He… He sounds normal.” _ Skye thought, remaining silent for a few seconds.  _ “He’s aware that something’s going on. Then again, Coulson may have him doing this. But, he sounds so damn scared.” _

“Who’s that?”

Skye tensed up and looked up to see Grant standing in the doorway of the office, seemingly cooled down from his earlier outburst. Her eyes still flickered to the now-destroyed candle on his desk. “It’s no one.”

“Surely doesn’t sound like just ‘no one’.” he stated coldly. “Who is it?”

She sighed and covered the phone with her hand, “Fitz.”

Something flashed in Grant’s eyes, “What does he want?”

_ “Skye, who’s that?”  _ Fitz asked.  _ “Who’s with you?” _

“Fitz, I’m gonna put you on mute real quick.” Skye pressed the mute button on the phone before Fitz could even protest. She looked back to Grant and took a breath, “He says that Coulson’s wanting to know where I am. That he thinks that he’s lying to him when he tells the man that he has no damn idea of where I am. Sounds like he’s starting to get paranoid or something about me.”

A muscle twitched in Grant’s face, that rage from earlier still there. Even if it was just slightly. “Does he sound normal?” he asked. “Does he sound like he’s under whatever control Coulson has on the others?”

Skye shook her head, “No, he sounds scared. If I’m being honest.” she answered. “I don’t think he’s being controlled. He sounds like Fitz.”

Grant held out his hand without a second thought, “Give me the phone.”

Skye’s heart skipped a few beats, “Grant, you really can’t be serious, can you?” she asked. “We really don’t know if he’s under Coulson’s control or not.”

“I know what I’m doing, Skye. Give me the phone.”

He all but snatched it from Skye as she reluctantly gave it to him, “Fitz, listen to me.” he began slowly. “I’m going to give you a set of coordinates. I want you and you alone to pack up your things and go to those coordinates.”

_ “Ward?!”  _ Fitz almost screamed.  _ “What the hell is going on?! Why the bloody hell is Skye with you?!” _

“Fitz, be quiet before someone hears you!” Grant snapped, his grip on the phone tightening. “Listen, there is something wrong with Coulson and you’re in danger. That’s why Skye left. She got the hell out of there as soon as she could. You need to do the same.”

_ “Wait, I don’t understand. What’s going-” _

“Be at those coordinates in two days. We both will meet you there.” Grant stated coldly, cutting him off. “Be sure that you’re alone.” He ended the call and tossed the phone back to Skye.

Skye blinked at him, “Are you sure that this is a good idea?”

“No. That’s why I gave him those coordinates. They’re 50 miles from here.” Grant answered, turning his back to her. “So if something does go wrong, this base isn’t compromised.”

Skye stuck the phone into her pocket, “Is it a good idea to bring him here?” she asked. “Your men already don’t like the idea of me being here. They’re surely not going to react well to you bringing a SHIELD engineer in here.”

“They know the consequences of disagreeing with me. They’ll have to deal with it.”

“What consequences? Like that?” She pointed at the destroyed candle back on his desk. 

Grant quickly turned around, his eyes flaring at the sight of the immolated candle. He hadn’t realized that it had burned. And that Skye had seen it all.

“You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“See what?” Skye asked, crossing her arms. “What are you not telling me here, Ward? You suddenly have a tantrum and somehow destroy a candle without even touching it?”

Grant’s eyes flared again and they suddenly turned blood red, drilling right into her own. Flames suddenly whipped around him, filling the space between, heat licking at Skye’s skin. The flames receded back into Grant’s skin as quickly as they had came.

“Does that answer your question?” he asked, seeing her utter surprise. “Apparently not.”

“How? When?” She struggled to fight the right word. “W-When did you go through terrigenesis?”

Grant blinked, “Terri-whatnow?” he asked. “You mean those crystals?”

Skye just stared at him. 

“No, I didn’t. These just appeared soon after SHIELD caused Kara’s death. The first sign of them was after you shot me. I never told anyone.” His words were bitter and harsh. “I just lost control of myself one day and when I came to, everything around me was on fire. Even my clothes. But, I was completely unscathed. Then, the Berserker rage started to get worse. Like the two were tied together. They created a monster out of me. An absolute destroyer. Once I get upset, I can’t stop until everything around me is up in flames. 

That’s why my men tip-toe around me.” he continued, still looking straight at her. “They know the extent of my rage. They know what happens if they piss me off. The flames created a devil out of me.”

Skye still struggled to find the right thing to say to him, “So, y-you’re not Inhuman? At all?” she asked, a slight stammer in her voice. If he wasn’t Inhuman, then what could he be? Maybe he was just like the guy in Hong Kong who had developed pyrokinesis as a result of an environmental mutation? 

No, something seemed completely different about Grant. Developing powers out of nowhere like that seemed off. And, truly, she didn’t want to know to  _ why  _ he had developed powers at the point. There was too much at stake right now.

“No, I’m not.” Grant stated coldly, his eyes flaring once again. “I’m not Inhuman. But I’m not human either. I don’t know what the hell I am.”

He turned around and quickly left the room, leaving a fog of heat and cinders behind in his wake. 

Skye swallowed, not sure of what to do,  _ “Great. Coulson’s going crazy. We have to make sure if Fitz is okay and we don’t even know if he’s normal or not. Now Ward’s some kind nonhuman with a massive rage problem? Great. Just great.  _

_ What the hell is even going on now?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Fitz is to meet up with Grant and Skye. And a bit more about Grant is revealed. And, no, I'm not going the way y'all probably think I'm going. Trying to be different this time around. Any guesses of what's gonna happen? Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	5. I See Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz joins the crew.

(Two Days Later)

“You really told Fitz to meet us in a barren field, didn’t you?”

Grant looked up, a scowl on his face, “What? This is my meeting place for contacts.” he answered. “Like I said the other day, it’s 50 miles away from my base. This way, Coulson doesn’t find it. Just be glad that I didn’t bring any of my men.”

“Thank God.”

Grant rolled his eyes as he looked at his watch, “He’s late.” he commented. “I don’t like this.”

“It’s just Fitz alone, Grant.” Skye answered. “He’s not a super spy like you, it probably takes him time.” She cocked her head as she heard something through the trees, “I think that’s him now.”

Grant narrowed his eyes and nodded as Fitz’s heat signature came into his field of sense, “Yes. That is him and he is alone.” he stated matter of factly. “I wonder how he managed to get away alone. I didn’t think he would be able to. Especially with Simmons around.”

“You would be surprised at how far he’s come, Ward.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, Skye.” Grant answered. “We don’t know what kind of situation he’s dealing with. If Coulson really does have some kind of control over them, Fitz took a huge risk in leaving. He-”

“So, you really went to him.”

Grant’s nostrils flared as he looked up to see Fitz standing a few feet away from them, a duffle bag slung over a shoulder. But, Skye answered for him before he even had a chance to open his mouth.

“I had no other choice, Fitz.” she stated. “You know that.”

Grant slowly raised his hands, “I am not going to hurt you. I just wanted you away from Coulson.” he began to explain, sensing Fitz’s apprehension of him. “You weren’t safe there.”

He could see Fitz swallow thickly, “And how am I any safer with you than I was with him?” he asked, still keeping his distance from Grant. “Have you forgotten what you did to us?”

“That’s in the past, Fitz.” Grant all but growled, something flaring in his eyes that chilled Fitz to his very core. “We’re not dealing with that right now. We’re dealing with the problem Coulson’s created.”

Fitz raised an eyebrow, “And what do you think that the problem is?” he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“The very same thing that happened to Garrett.”

Fitz frowned as Grant turned away, “Huh? You mean how psycho he went right before Peterson dealt him in?” he asked, not sure of where Grant was going with this. All he knew was that Coulson was not himself. He hadn’t thought as far as  _ what  _ could be doing this to him. 

Grant held his breath, knowing that it was Coulson who killed Garrett and  _ not  _ Mike Peterson. “Yes, exactly.” he stated coldly, receiving a strange glance from Skye. “But, there’s a distance. Garrett used the GH formula to heal himself, to keep himself from dying. And he went batshit crazy.” he explained. “But, Coulson was brought back to life by that shit. Days after being killed by Loki. And he’s acting more extreme than Garrett ever did.”

“Then…” Fitz trailed off a bit and then shook his head. “Then why is everyone else acting so funny?”

Skye shrugged, answering for Grant, “We really don’t know. Unless being brought back by the GH formula gave him some kind of ability that’s only shown itself recently as Coulson’s mental state has declined.” she explained slowly. “Some freaky ability to control others’ minds.”

“But… But you were okay. I’m okay.” Fitz protested. “Elena’s okay, I think. Why weren’t we affected?”

“Elena and I are both Inhuman, that’s my only explanation for the two of us.” Skye continued, watching as Grant kept his back turned towards them. “That GH formula was created by Kree blood, right? The very same stuff that was used to create the Inhumans. Perhaps that gives us some kind of natural immunity to whatever hellish power Coulson has developed. But… But, I don’t know about you, though. It’s strange that you weren’t affected by him. I mean, I’m not complaining. It’s good that you’re not under Coulson’s control. But, it’s still strange.”

Fitz sighed and shook his head, “I… I really don’t wanna think about that right now, I just want to get out of here.” he stated. “Let’s just get to whatever torture house Ward has set up.”

Grant briskly spun around and glared hard at Fitz, not liking the insinuation. “You better keep your mouth shut when you’re in my  _ base. _ ” he growled, correcting the engineer. “I can’t always protect you from my men. They already don’t like the fact that I’ve taken Skye in, but I’ve made it  _ very  _ clear of what I’ll do to them if they protest. But, I’m not always going to be around to protect you from them. You better stick close to Skye or stay to your own room. There is no telling to what they could to do you. They all despise SHIELD. If you make the wrong move, they may just take that anger out on you.”

Fitz took a defiant step forward, glaring right back at Grant, “I’m not afraid of you, Ward. I’m only here because of Skye and the fact that I didn’t even feel safe around Jemma.” he shot back. “You or none of your bloody cronies scare me.”

A smirk pulled at Grant’s lips and he let out a laugh, “Seems like you’ve grown a pair since I left.” he joked. “I like that. But, do you know how to use a gun?”

“Huh?” Fitz’s face fell, clearly stunned by Grant’s response to his defiant statement. “Use a gun? I-I’ve shot someone before. A-And they died.”

“So only once?”

“Ward.” Skye warned, but Grant chose to ignore her.

Fitz licked his lips, “Just one guy. Back when we assaulted that CyberTek base.”

Grant almost snorted, “That was a hell of a long time ago, Fitz.” he stated, a laugh still in his voice. “You’re gonna have to do  _ much  _ better than that.”

“Not all of us are cold-blooded killers like you!”

A bright light flared in Grant’s eyes and Fitz swore that they had turned blood-red for the briefest of moments, “Anything’s better than letting Coulson continue on like this.” he all but hissed. “Coulson’s apparently been planning on teaming up with the ATCU, according to Skye. And he’s also been expressing anti-Inhuman sentiments. If we allow him to continue, there will be a genocide on our hands. A little bit of blood on your hands is a hell of a lot better than the death of an entire population of people.”

“And why do you suddenly care so much about the Inhumans, Ward?” Fitz asked harshly. “Last time I check, you weren’t one. Unless something happened that I don’t know about. You’ve never cared about being a hero.”

A muscle twitched in Grant’s forehead, “No, I’m not Inhuman. I’m something far worse.” he said, his voice low and grave. He turned and began to walk away, “Let’s get back to base before anyone finds us here.”

Fitz found himself unable to move and looked at Skye for some kind of answer, “What the bloody hell does he mean by that?!” he whispered, trying not to draw Grant’s attention back to him. “Skye?!”

Skye swallowed and began to follow Grant, “I’ve seen what he can do, Fitz. And, honestly, you don’t want to know.

I have no idea to what the hell he is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this again! I got busy with work and stuff and never really had the chance to update. But, Fitz joins Grant and Skye, but it's clear that he's fearful of Grant. Especially now that he doesn't know to what Grant could be. Next chapter should get back to Coulson for a little bit. Any guesses of what's gonna happen next? Keep the comments and kudos coming!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something I'm trying to help remotivate me with writing! Find me on tumblr @gears-of-ward!


End file.
